Power Integrations, Inc.

Karl Moore

Antonius Jacobus Johannes Werner

Matthew David Waterson

Arthur Brian Odell

Giao Minh Pham

Vikram Balakrishnan

Manoj Bhasin

Antonius Werner

A controller for a power converter comprising a drive circuit and an adaptive current limit generator. The drive circuit is coupled to receive a request signal representative of a power demand of an output of the power converter. The drive circuit is configured to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch in response to the request signal. The adaptive current limit generator configured to generate a current limit signal and the drive circuit is configured to turn off the power switch when a current sense signal reaches the current limit signal. The adaptive current limit generator is configured to vary an upper threshold of the current limit signal to a first value when a switching frequency is less than a frequency threshold and vary the upper threshold to a second value when the switching frequency is greater than the frequency threshold.

Adaptive ramp time modulation

Methods and apparatus for continuous conduction mode operation in multi-output power converters are described herein. During a switching cycle, secondary current may be delivered via a diode to a secondary output. Prior to beginning a subsequent switching cycle, a diverting current may be provided to a lower voltage secondary output on a parallel path. In this way diode current may be reduced to substantially zero prior to the subsequent switching cycle.

Method and apparatus for continuous conduction mode operation of a multi-output power converter

A switched mode power converter has an energy transfer element that delivers an output signal to a load. A power switching device coupled to the primary side of the energy transfer element regulates a transfer of energy to the load. A secondary controller is coupled to receive a feedback signal and output a pulsed signal in response thereto. A primary controller is coupled to receive the pulsed signal and output a drive signal in response thereto, the drive signal being coupled to control switching of the power switching device. A compensation circuit generates an adaptively compensated signal synchronous with the pulsed signal. The adaptively compensated signal has a parameter that is adaptively adjusted in response to a comparison of the feedback signal with a threshold reference signal. The parameter converges towards a final value that produces a desired level of the output signal.

Power converter controller with stability compensation

Apparatus and methods for sequencing outputs in a multi-output power converter system are disclosed herein. During start-up multiple CC/CV outputs may be sequenced so that energy is first provided to a highest voltage secondary output and subsequently provided to a lowest voltage secondary output. Additionally, control may be exerted so as to concurrently and monotonically increase voltages during at least part of the start-up transient; and concurrent control may be further implemented using control circuitry and a variable reference generator. In some embodiments a variable reference may be generated from a capacitor voltage.

Method and apparatus for sequencing outputs in a multi-output power converter system

A controller for use in a power converter with multiple outputs includes a discharge detect circuit coupled to receive a voltage signal from a transformer winding of the power converter to output a discharge signal in response to the voltage signal. A multi-output signal process and interface block is coupled to output request signals to the output selection drive and idle ring visibility logic circuit. An output selection drive and idle ring visibility logic circuit is coupled to receive the discharge signal from the discharge detect circuit and the output request signals from the multi-output signal process and interface block. An idle ring detection circuit is coupled to one of the plurality of output switches and coupled to output an idle ring output signal to generate a next request pulse.

Idle ring detection for a multi-output power converter

A controller for a multiple output power converter, including an error amplifier configured to generate an error signal based on a difference between an output signal of a multiple output power converter and a reference signal. A switch request circuit is configured to generate a request signal in response to the error signal. The switch request circuit is further configured to control a switching of a power switch of the multiple output power converter to transfer energy from an input of the multiple output power converter to an output of the multiple output power converter. A power limit fault circuit is configured to receive the request signal and the error signal, the power limit fault circuit further configured to generate a first fault signal in response to detection of an output overload or short circuit.

Power converter fault detection by counting request pulses

A controller for use in a power converter includes a comparator that receives an output signal representative of an output voltage of the power converter. The comparator generates a constant voltage signal in response to a comparison of the output signal and a reference signal. A switch request circuit receives the constant voltage signal and a fault signal. The switch request circuit generates a request signal in response to the constant voltage signal and the fault signal to control switching of a power switch of the power converter to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter. A power limit fault circuit receives the request signal. The power limit fault circuit generates the fault signal to indicate a fault existence in the power converter in response to a rate of consecutive request pulses greater than a threshold.

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Ely, United Kingdom

Karl Moore